Online Lottery Scam Results in Arrests

The media in Ghana issued a number of reports this week on the arrest of a local woman, Lucinda Aebiola (30), for charges of her involvement in an online lottery fraud racket.

This arrest follows that of Aebiola's husband, Emanuel Augustine Nuseb (37) in South Africa on December 16, as well as that of his accomplice, Ravindrasingh Waccher (52) under charges of involvement in an internet lottery scam.

In addition, in the arrest of Nuseb and Waccher, the police confiscated several fake demand drafts on foreign banks, a laptop, two pen drives, four mobile phones and SIM cards. The duo was then interrogated, on which occasion they revealed Lucinda Abiola's part in the scheme, where she helped forge the fraudulent documents used to con gullible online targets.

According to the authorities' statement, 'the fraud ring managed to convince some Internet users into believing they had won large prizes in a fictitious lottery.' However, they used fraudulent documents in the deception, inviting claimants to pay a registration fee in order to secure their prize.

It has also been specified that the case will go to trial early next year.